Kill The Kid is a band from London, , known for performing hard and alt rock with a strong side of the south. The best way to describe them is intense, passionate, and full of energy – these are evident in their latest EP release, titled “The Secret. ” “The Secret” contains three tracks that capture the band’s influences and appreciate the art of creating order in chaos.
Kill The Kid, as a band, has volume and quality since it is built on two musicians who are talented. Similarly, Gadd also known as Jed Kid cites his influences from a rather eclectic list that includes western folk musicians and Rock stars the likes of Bon Jovi. His sidekick is Andy, the guitarist who may draw his inspiration from Jimmy Page and other legendary musicians and a blend of blues icons.
Al together, they create something very simple, yet new, fresh and touching people who like rock, be it mainstream or not.
Here are some of the questions that will be answered in the band-exclusive interview: What is the process of writing music like for them, and what music do they listen to themselves?Let’s get to know the band Kill The Kid and find out more about their story and why they should be noted as an up and coming force within the current rock circuit.
Listen to The Secret
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What is your stage name
Gadd: Jed Kid
Band name: Kill The Kid
Is there a story behind your stage name?
We’re actually glad you brought this up. We get a lot of eyebrow raises when we tell people the band name. So let’s be clear, we do not support the killing of kids! 😂 Kill The Kid’s music and aesthetic is colored with wild west imagery lended from the world of Southern Rock and Outlaw Country and one of our favorite western folk heroes is Billy The Kid. Gadd (aka Jed Kid): What can I say, I grew up watching Young Guns and listening to Bon Jovi’s – Blaze of Glory 🙂 So it came together in the stage names I came up with – Jed Kid and Kill The Kid.
Where do you find inspiration?
Gadd (aka Jed Kid):
The music and the bands that I listen to at the time and a lifetime of making bad decisions haha Seriously though, I draw from my own experiences.
Andy:
I was brought up with rock and blues from the early days, my biggest inspirations are guitarists like: Jimmy Page, Richie Blackmore, Zakk Wylde, Joe Bonamassa, the list goes on.. So that automatically reflects in the band, then add the country influence and you have Kill The Kid.
What was the role of music in the early years of your life?
Gadd (aka Jed Kid):
Music was always in the background. My dad liked putting on classical music – The sounds of Mozart and Beethoven were regularly heard from his study and in the car. My older brother regularly blasted Grunge and Metal tunes from his bedroom speakers. However, I was too busy running around to notice any of that. I only picked up a guitar and sang for the 1st time when I was 15. My family often reminds me though, that when I was a kid I would beatbox and sing to myself when I was in the toilet 😎
Are you from a musical or artistic family?
Andy:
Yes, my dad is a bass player. In his younger days he played in a Judas Priest inspired heavy metal band in his hometown in Italy. It was him that got me into rock music in the first place.
Gadd (aka Jed Kid):
Emmm yeah, I guess I am. My grandma was a concert pianist and my brother is a published graphic novelist and lecturer. He did the cover for this EP by the way.
Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry?
Gadd (aka Jed Kid):
I never wanted to be part of an industry. If anything it only makes things worse haha But my parents taught me that I should strive to make a living out of doing what I love. And I love writing and playing songs. Everything else is secondary.
How did you learn to sing/write/to play?
Andy:
I started playing at the age of 12 , I initially took some lessons from a private teacher, and played in different cover bands back in Italy. Then in 2009 I moved to London, after winning a scholarship to study guitar in music college, and that’s where my adventure in UK started
Gadd (aka Jed Kid):
I taught myself how to play guitar and sing for a good few years before I took any lessons. It was only in my early 20’s, when things got more serious and my interests more challenging, that I started with classical singing lessons. I was then accepted into a music college as a songwriting and production major. At the same time I studied modern singing techniques to keep up with my ambitions.
What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform?
Gadd (aka Jed Kid):
Michael Jackson, the Dangerous Tour. I was 7 and it was F*** epic!
Andy: Iron Maiden in 2007. I was in the 2nd row, really close to the stage. I remember that at about the 3rd song in a crazy mosh pit started and I was thrown on the back within seconds. Still a great show!
How could you describe your music?
We couldn’t haha 🙂 Our music is a combination of all the different things that we like – a strong groove, power vocals, intelligent songwriting and creative guitar licks. We call it “Southern Hard Rock” but we borrow and meld different elements from less expected genres like country, synthwave, punk, drum & bass, blues, jazz and whatever comes to mind really.
Describe your creative process.
Every song is different really but they all have two equally important components – Music and Lyrics. Musically speaking, sometimes Gadd would bring a fully formed song to the table (- like The Secret and Justice) and we’d jam as a band. New ideas will come up as we do and play with the arrangement. It’ll take shape surprisingly quickly though. Other times it’s more of a collaboration (- like Don’t Follow or Lord All Mighty) where Andy comes up with a tasty riff that becomes the focal point of a new song. As for the lyrics, they come from Gadd’s dusty old notebooks and broken mind.
Gadd (aka Jed Kid):
I like to write a good story and sometimes share my personal experiences. I take it quite seriously though. Maybe too seriously even. There are so many songs that are shelved just because the lyrics are not ready yet. You can see a glimpse of our process in our KTK studio sessions videos on youtube.
What is your main inspiration?
Gadd (aka Jed Kid):
Life. Life is very dramatic and stirs up a lot of emotions. I tend to tap more into anger and pain when I write. I find music a better outlet for my frustration than punching a wall. Which I also do, but in moderation of course haha 😂
Andy:
I usually mess around with riffs and ideas until I find something that I like. This can lead to something or sometimes it doesn’t. With guitar solos I always listen to where the melody takes me.
What musician do you admire most and why?
Nah that’s an impossible question !
Gadd (aka Jed Kid): I admire those who manage to keep doing music and evolve artistically without compromising their sense of identity. David Bowie and Prince are definitely on that list for me.
Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career?
Yes, for sure. If you don’t grow you die.
Who do you see as your main competitor?
Are we in a competition?
What are your interests outside of music?
Gadd (aka Jed Kid):
Yoga, bitch
Andy:
I love traveling and seeing new places. I also recently got into running and ran my first half marathon back in April, it was a great feeling
If it wasn’t a music career, what would you be doing?
Gadd (aka Jed Kid):
Probably fail as an actor 🙂
Andy:
I honestly don’t know, I don’t think I’m really good at anything else. Music has always been part of my life. My main job during the week is guitar teaching, and still it’s music related.
What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music?
Figuring out and keeping up with the ever changing music industry. Still haven’t managed that.
If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be?
Jacked up ticket prices and shady promoters that monopolize venues and exploit artists and fans. Thankfully there are new initiatives popping up exactly because of this problem and they are doing good work.
Why did you choose this as the title of this project?
We named the EP after the title track – The Secret. As in – a “bad” thing you love doing that you won’t tell anyone about.
Gadd (aka Jed Kid):
It’s one of my favorite songs ! I personally am really proud of it. Later in the EP though we explore the consequences that follow.
What are your plans for the coming months?
We keep working on new songs and new videos for now. Every Friday we publish a new video from our studio sessions on YouTube. But we also have plans to return to the live music scene soon.
Do you have any artistic collaboration plans
Not at the moment. Do you have any suggestions for us? 🙂
What message would you like to give to your fans?
There’s more.
